Pop’s ultimate compliment: Rubio’s entry into NBA just like Ginobili’s

MINNEAPOLIS — There aren’t many compliments Spurs coach Gregg Popovich can give any player that are better than a positive comparison to Manu Ginobili, so Timberwolves fans should be more than excited to know Pop likens Rubio’s quick adaptation to the NBA to that which Ginobili made in 2002.

Speaking after the Spurs morning shootaround to prepare for Monday’s game against the Timberwolves at Target Center, Popovich said the outstanding early play of Rubio, the veteran of the Spanish ACB League who was the fifth pick of the 2009 draft, should not surprise anyone.

“He’s doing exactly what Manu Ginobili did when he came (to the Spurs),” he said. “Ricky’s a veteran, he’s a pro. He’s been in big games, he’s been in tough games, he’s played against good players. He’s not going to be awed by this NBA stuff at all. He’s going to come in and play, as we’ve seen.”

Coming off the bench in his first four games Rubio is averaging 9.5 points and 7.3 assists and getting the bulk of the playing time in the fourth quarter. He had 14 points and seven assists, one of them a pass through Dirk Nowitzki’s legs to Anthony Tolliver for a fourth-quarter 3-pointer in Minnesota’s first win of the season on Sunday night here.

As if Popovich’s comparison to Ginobili wasn’t enough, he made an around-the-corner comparison to Hall of Famer John Stockton in discussing the fact the Wolves are simplifying things and just asking Rubio to run pick and roll.

“It’s basketball,” Popovich said. “We all run pick an droll. John (Stockton) and Karl (Malone) ran pick and roll the same way for a jillion years. It’s pretty simple. It depends on who’s doing it and (Rubio) is very good at it, so there’s no sense making something complicated if somebody’s great at doing something simple.”